


All The Bad Things (Choi Soobin/OC) - College!AU

by Adawolfa



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Comedy, F/M, Romance, txt, txt/oc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:33:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24679300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adawolfa/pseuds/Adawolfa
Summary: In which Park Dae-Gi was blessed to be saved by his new neighbour, Choi Soobin from being chased by feral dogs. She thought that was the last time they met, but who knew they would end up in the same university and let mixed feelings in the more they involve themselves with one another?
Relationships: Choi Soobin/OC, Choi Soobin/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

I will not die today! 

But I could barely hear myself screaming, let alone gasping for air. 

I despised crowds. They made me feel suffocated and my face would turn hot from being sardined by unfamiliar faces. But this was the only time I wish I was the center of attention and this was also the only time where there was nobody around me except a pack of alpha, menacing, diabolical-looking dogs chasing after me as their barks filled the quiet neighborhood.

"Help!" Tears trickled down my face as I struggled to let out even a single word. I cursed my below average athletic skills. Since high school ended, I couldn't remember when was the last time I got out of house other than to eat and pet stray cats which was a month ago. My lack of stamina was mortifying. 

How did this happen?  
\-------------

"Park Dae-Gi! This is your third time getting lost here!" I flinched upon hearing the shrilling, vehement voice that erupted the empty convenience store. 

"I'm sorry, Sun Woo-ssi! But the roads here tend to be really confusing at times.. I just feel like the junction always changes." I scratched my non-itchy head, trying to cover up my horrendous sense of direction. The first two times I went to the store was from the help of Google Map, but this time around I forgot to charge my phone so I ended up waking with an obstinate object in my pocket. The walking journey from my home to the store took around ten minutes, and it was a miracle to even arrive here without getting lost in the midst of the crowds. 

"Thank you very much. Please, keep the change!" I gave an additional 5,000 won to the man in front of the cashier, Sun Woo, his face clearly filled with annoyance. I had no idea why he disdained me so much but every time I came here, he would always give me 'that look' which explained why I was so apprehensive to go there in the first place, but it wasn't like I could say no to my Mother, who miraculously managed to fraternize with the scruffy old man behind the cashier.

"Wait, shortie!" I stopped on my tracks and turned my back towards him, "Lately there's been a bunch of wild dogs roaming around the streets, especially around your street. You're buying some frozen meat and they can actually smell them. Be careful, aite?" 

I tried keeping a straight face, masking my shock over his thoughtfulness. "Thank you for caring about me, Sun Woo-ssi! I will be heading off safely now. Good bye!"

\--------------

"Someone, he-" My imbalance stopped me from completing a sentence and instead made me plunge forward onto the cemented road. I fell with my knees first, followed by my thighs and my chest. I wanted so badly to scream, but with the dogs approaching faster each second with saliva drooling from their mouth, appearing famished and horrifying, I had no time to react to the pain. All I could do was close my eyes, praying to God that all of this was a sick dream.

"Yah! Evil dogs!! Get away, scramble!!!" The ringing of a man with deep voice disrupted my prayers of wanting all of this to be a dream. I subconsciously opened my eyes to see a very tall figure standing in front of me with a long, thorny stick on his right hand. He kept swinging it back and forth, putting up a triumph front. Surprisingly enough, the abrasive barking turned into dissatisfied growls but they eventually left, realizing that the overgrown man didn't waver. 

His attention finally reverted to me and kneeled to match our eye level. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Were you injure-"

The sobs that I held back grew louder and louder until his voice became inaudible. I closed my eyes, still wishing all of that was a dream. My body was quivering with fear. I couldn't feel my legs that were like jelly that got dragged from the ground and my chest was burning from the fall. I felt my whole body hurt.

I didn't like strangers doing body contact with me, but when he started to wrap his arms around me with the most minimal pressure, repeating to me about how it was all going to be okay, I ended up squeezing his short-sleeved clothes in front of me, not wanting to let go.

\-----------------

"Can you stand?" Soobin felt immense guilt for asking an obvious question. The petite, small, frightened girl's right knee was clearly bloody. The fall even damaged her slacks, forming a small hole for the skin of her thigh to be visinle. It hurt him more seeing how she was struggling to even convey her words in the midst of her traumatised sobs. 

"I -I'm okay. I'm sorry. I -It hurts a bit." Dae-Gi muttered out, mortified over the tears that became less obvious. She couldn't even lie about the excruciating pains she felt from the misfortunate event. 

Without uttering a single word, he pulled her short right arm softly and enveloped it on his neck. Slowly and carefully, he stood up bending his legs so that his tall figure did not exert pressure towards her limping legs due to their striking height differences. Dae-Gi wanted to question him, but she felt too exhausted from the sudden running, leaving her to be dragged by Soobin. 

"I have a first aid kit in my house. Hold on, okay?" She nodded meekly as he opened the door with his free hand. Upon opening, he brought her to the couch that was a few meters from the entrance of the house. He cautiously let her go but it still made her grunt in pain. After a few seconds of rummaging through the store, he finally came back with the aforementioned item. 

"Can you roll your pants up so that I can treat you?" Dae-Gi submissively did as she was asked. True enough, her legs was worse than what they just saw. There were purple bruises and dry blood everywhere. Soobin's eyes widened with worry, "This is horrible! I don't think I can help much. Maybe we should go to the hospital, instead?"

She shook her head continuously, "No, no. It's okay. This.. This is more than enough... Please." 

He stared at her face who was looking down and heaved a worried sigh, "I'll try my best, then." He said, reluctant. He then pulled out a clean cloth to stop any leftover blood flowing. It was fortunate that most of it was dry already while he was busy comforting her from the shock. He then took another cloth and sprayed it with pure water. "This will hurt a bit." He warned her. Upon placing the cloth on her wounds, she gripped her fist and bit her lips to hold back from yelling.It hurt, A LOT. 

He then applied antibiotic and petroleum jelly onto the disinfected wounds before applying the bandage. Subconsciously, he let out a relieved sigh. "There, all done. Feeling better now?"

Dae-Gi looked at his face that was less tense, "You're really good at this."

"I was a part of Boys' Scout back in high school and they taught us these things. To be honest, I didn't think I'd still remember this but I guess it really is useful in times like these, huh?" Soobin smiled warmly, prompting her to look down, embarrassed, thinking back to when she was crying horrifically on his oversized hoodie, that was now slightly wet at the part of his chest. 

Soobin clapped his hand with his mouth slightly opened, "Oh, right! You're probably exhausted from all of that. Let me make something for you! Would you like some tea, or something cold?"

"N -No! It's okay! Just water will do." She wanted to hit herself so badly. What was she doing, asking so much from this innocuous, innocent-looking man? He happily complied and brought a cup of water for her. He sat at the other couch that was perpendicular to where she was sitting at. Thirstily, she drunk the whole cup in a short time. The sun was tormenting and the heat was close to killing her, not to mention she had to do a whole marathon in five minutes. No words could articulate the relief she felt when her dry throat felt the water coming in. 

"Yah, someone's really thirsty after being chased, huh?" He teased, leading her to cover her dry lips. 

"I haven't run for years." That was a lie, but due to her lack of stamina, it didn't sound like an exaggeration. He chuckled. 

"How did they end up chasing you? Where were you from?" Dae-Gi explained everything, about how she attracted a bunch of feral dogs after buying meat from the wet market nearby and she got chased in an empty street. Various expression came out from Soobin, but mostly was him being amused at the whole situation. 

"No one was there? At all?"

"No! I was so scared I couldn't even scream!" 

"Wah, that's horrible. Nothing scares me more than evil dogs." Suddenly he gave a teasing grin, "Does that mean I'm your Knight-in-Shining armour?" 

She unknowingly let out a disbelief gasp, "For all I know, you were planning to kidnap me." 

"Yah! I treated you!" The two of them let out a hearty chuckle. She momentarily forgot that she was in pain a few minutes ago. "I'm Choi Soobin. I'm 20 years old this year. And you are?"

"I'm Park Dae-Gi. I'm 20 as well, thank you for saving me."

His eyes widened, "Eh??? Really? You are????" He stared at her, incredulous. 

"W -Why? You don't trust me?" 

"No, it's just.. You're so small so I thought-" Her offended gasp cut him off, leaving him laughing in panic, "I don't mean it that way. You're just really short and light so I thought you were in middle school. But yah, really? You're the same age as me???" 

Dae-Gi's jaw dropped by how blunt he was. She took out her Samsung phone from her slacks pocket. "Yah, this isn't how you treat an injured person. I'm calling the cops." 

Soobin's laugh grew louder as he pushed her hands jokingly, "Please, don't! I haven't started college!" She didn't realise how much she was enjoying teasing this innocent-looking man. 

"Don't call me short!" 

He brought both his hands together pleadingly, "I won't! Sorry, Dae-Gi sunbaenim! Please don't call the police on me for the heinous crime I just did!" She laughed, disbelief by how such a tall, big-looking man was this playful. This was one of the rare times where she was comfortable to a man she just met. 

"So, are you new to this neighbourhood? I haven't seen you around. I mean, it's not like I go out anyway." Soobin asked. 

"Ah, yes actually. I recently moved here because of my father's job. Also, it's quite convenient because it's near to the university I'll be attending soon." 

His mouth formed an 'O' shape, "Is it Namsang National University?" 

"Yes! That's where it is! How did you know?" 

"I'll be attending there too! Next month!" 

"Wah, really? Daebak! What course will you be taking?" Like Soobin, she couldn't hide the excitement in her. voice knowing that she was able to make a new friend even before enrolling in the university. She only knew a few from her school who was attending the same university as her, but she wasn't close with them. 

"Mechanical Engineering. And you?" 

Her eyes turned lustrous as she beamed a pleased smile, "Me, too!"

"Waah! I'm so glad I finally find someone who takes the same course as me! None of my friends are taking Engineering, so I was scared I end up alone." He admitted without shame. 

Dae-Gi was about to respond the same way, but their smooth flow of conversation was abruptly interrupted by the sound of the door opening and a figure of a slender, beautiful, tall woman with a short hair at the door. "Soo-ah! Why didn't you respond to my sns's girlfriend? I was so lonely without you! I miss y-" Her words were immediately cut the moment her and Dae-Gi's eyes met.


	2. 2: Promise

The silence that ironically shook the room made it feel as though hours passed when it had only been ten seconds since I met eyes with the beautiful, tall, woman with a model figure. No one moved a muscle as if we had a fear of waking some sort of omnipotent power, until Soobin flinched away from me as he stood from his chair, both of his hands gesturing at her to calm down, "Eun-ah. Before you think otherwise, please listen to what I have to say, okay?" 

Her round, piercing eyes kept being glued on me as she crossed her arms, "You have ten seconds." Her voice was calm and collected, but anyone could tell that behind that nonchalant demeanour, a wild storm was raging in her heart. 

"She fell in front of my house because she got chased by wild dogs so I treated her. That's all there is. Really, please believe me." I knew she wasn't convinced with how indignant her glare was towards me, so I immediately stood up, slightly hissing at the pain my legs were making me. 

"It's true. He helped me applied my bandage. It wasn't what you were thinking. W -We just met." I defended him as I unfolded my pants to show evidence. Why was I panicking? It was all the truth so I had no reason to be stuttering like this.

The gloomy room that was filled with negative thoughts went back to normal again after she saw my bandage. The air no longer felt heavy and the grim in her eyes vanished at that moment. Her smile didn't look genuine, but it had definitely amplified my sense of security. 

"Of course, my baby Soobin is the nicest boy you've ever seen! Isn't that right, Soobin-ah?" The murderous aura exuded by his girlfriend diminished as soon as she planted a kiss on his cheek, followed by her clinging onto his neck like a koala, causing him to let out a nervous chuckle. I quietly applauded her lack of shyness to initiate PDA while Soobin on the other hand looked like he was embarrassingly trying to run away. 

"And who might you be, little girl? Are you a middle school student?" 

"Eun-ah! She's the same age as us!" 

The woman made a fake gasp as she covered her mouth dramatically. "Oh! Dear me, I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay. Soobin thought I was a middle schooler, too." I shrugged with a fake smile, realising that birds of a feather flocked together. 

"My name is Han Eunkyung. I've been Soobin's girlfriend for five months now. Actually, it's five months and three days already. Isn't that right, love?" Soobin nodded bashfully as he avoided my eyes. 

"Hello, Eunkyung-ssi. My name is Park Dae-Gi. I recently moved here, so I am Soobin-ssi's neighbour." We both shook hands for a split second, but I could've sworn she gripped mine a bit tightly. 

"Neighbour? No wonder you got chased around here. There's been lots of reports on dogs roaming around here and they're still trying to chase them out. Nobody know where they're coming from." Eunkyung warned. 

"Where exactly do you live, Dae-Gi-ah? I don't remember seeing any empty houses here." Soobin finally asked. 

"Ah, well.. I don't really live in the same street as you. From here, I think I'm behind you, two houses to the right, I think?" I answered, uncertain. 

"I see. That's really close from here." He responded. 

"Why did you run here?" 

I raised my eyebrows, "I'm sorry?" 

"You could've.. Escaped to your house. But you choose this street instead." She fell silent for a while before continuing, "It's like... You were planning all of this."

"Eun-ah." The voice from Soobin was filled with disappointment and disbelief. For some reason, it felt as though this wasn't the first time he heard such an absurd statement coming from his girlfriend.

"I'm just saying! Since her house is that near why was she taking so much effort to run at the front of your house?" 

"I wasn't able to think straight during. I ran nonstop and my eyes were hazy, so I just ran at whichever road I saw first. It's not like what you think it is. In fact," I stood up from my couch, not taking any chances of being interrogated longer, "I'll be taking my leave now. I realise I shouldn't be intruding for so long. Thank you very much for your hospitality, Soobin-ssi." I bowed 90 degrees as I began to limp away slowly. 

"Dae-Gi-ah." Soobin walked towards me from where he sat, pushing his girlfriend's arms away that wrapped his body, "Let me drive you home. You can't be walking like this." 

"No, it's okay. I can handle. Your girlfriend is busy waiting for you, after all." I gave out a smile while remarking monotonously. 

"No, you can't. I know how painful it is. You're limping. Please, let me drive. Your house is near mine. It won't even take a minute." 

I would happily take the offer, but I could feel the piercing gaze from my back, making me hesitant to even speak. It felt as though she was scrutinising every word I was going to say, causing me to look to the ground, dumbfounded on how to answer.

"So this is how it is." I subconsciously held my breathe when I heard Eunkyung spoke up. 

God damn it. 

"You're really going to abandon our date today for a girl you just met? Is that it?" My eyes widened upon hearing her question.

"What? No, I'm not. I just want to help he-"

"I see how it is." She abruptly stood up from her seat and stomped towards the front door. 

"Eun-ah, please stop. You're being ridiculous."

"I'm ridiculous? Look at you! The moment you see a girl in front of you you forgot about your girlfriend! I came all the way from my house just to see you but now you're treating like I don't exist? You're the ridiculous one!" She closed the door deafeningly without looking back, making me flinch with my heartbeat increasing rapidly, galvanised by the loud bang. 

Loud noises had always frightened me. Hearing people screaming is enough to make me cry, but I held back realising that Soobin was probably feeling a lot worse than me. I was expecting him to chase after her after the childish feud to clear the air, but he remained immobile, frozen on the spot. He hung his head down, ears red as his right hand scratched his neck, clearly mortified. 

"So.. You're riding my car, right? Well, it's not really mine. It was originally my sisters', but she has a new one, so I guess it's mine?" 

"Uhm.. Yes, please." 

\------------------------------------

"Wah~ You weren't kidding when you said your house is literally behind mine." Soobin commented, amused. 

"Yeah, I wasn't." I unbuckled my seatbelt as he stopped in front of my house. 

"Be more careful next time, alright? You're lucky your knight in shining armour was there to help. Imagine what would've happen if I didn't listen to you screaming." I let out a small chuckle. I didn't dare imagine how atrocious it would have turned out. 

"Soobin-ah." 

"Yes?" 

I fidgeted with my fingers, suddenly turning timid. Even if the drive was short, I was able to talk and look at hime, guiding him where to turn and stop. But now, my face turned hot and I wanted to avoid his gaze at me. 

"I'm sorry. For what happened. I.. I shouldn't have come to your house." I muttered weakly as guilt crept onto me upon realising I was the reason they got into a lover's quarrel. 

"Oh.. Haha." My face turned to him, stunned by how he was still able to flash off his dimple smile after that appalling event, "It's okay. It happens. I'm the one who should be sorry you're caught in the middle of all that. Ah! So embarrassing!" He heartily covered his face, but for some reason I wasn't able to take it seriously by how his smile wasn't going away, lightening the atmosphere. It was a charming smile. 

"There's no need to apologise. You help me out a lot. I'm thankful for that, really... Thank you, Soobin-ah." I smiled in return and his smile turned wider. 

"I guess I'll be seeing you around?" He asked. 

"Oh." After tarnishing their romantic relationship, I secretly promised myself make sure this was the last time we would meet. I realised how much misfortune I brought onto him just because he was being benevolent to me, all the way from treating my wounds to sending me home safely. "Of course, we will. We'll be in the same university, after all."


	3. 3: A Favour

Why is that whenever I want something good to happen, I jinxed it? 

I was firm over my thought of not wanting to see him anymore after unintentionally humiliated him. I thought that was the last straw and I would never want to place anymore burden onto him. Choi Soobin is a man clearly too good for this world and I didn't want to destroy his purity anymore than I did. 

But here I was, stupefied in front of his house, carrying a tupperware containing a cuboid brownie bar, dressed fully prim and proper. 

\--------------------------

"It's okay, Mom. I'm fine now." Dae-Gi cursed herself for thinking that she was able to hide the eyesore bandage just by wearing loose pants, but was easily spotted by how she couldn't walk normally. 

"No, you are not! Omo, how on earth did you get chased by eight dogs all at once? Aish, you should've called me so we could go to the hospital immediately! I could take my day off!" Her mother grumbled guiltily and Dae-Gi could only look down, swallowing the 20-minute lecture her mother had been giving her. 

"Now now, dear. Calm down. Tell us, Dae-Gi-ah. Who treated you if you didn't go to the hospital?" Her father inquired calmly as he massaged her mother's back to make her less tense. She was already aggravated by her staffs lack of punctuality on their work today, now she had to handle her daughter's klutziness. It was truly daunting to be a lady boss and also a mother. 

"Uh.. Well.. Someone saw me getting chased and helped me shooing off the rest of the dogs. That person also applied the bandage on me." She fidgeted with her fingers. 

"And who was this person?" 

"It's not importa-"

"Not important? They helped you, young lady! And you don't even try to remember who saved you?" It was at that moment Dae-Gi knew she effed up. 

"Uh.. Well.. Actually, I -I do remember him b -But not his name! Yeah! He's our neighbour and he happened to see me during that time, so yeah!" There was no point lying in front of her enraged mother. 

"Our neighbour?" Both of them raised their eyebrows at one another. "That's more the reason for you to know! You are clearly indebted to this person no matter how much you want to ignore it. So I want you to do something for him in return as a way to say thank you. I do not teach my children improper manners. Do you understand, Park Dae-Gi?"

\------------------------

"But how should I do it?!" I gasped, unprepared. It wasn't like I never thought of repaying him a favour, but she didn't know how to without having to intercept with him. Soobin clearly didn't want to see me again after creating such a ruckus in his house. 

So how was I going to give the brownies that she literally just baked an hour ago? I could just leave it in front of his gate and placed a not stating her gratitude, but what if some random passerby took notice of the brownies and stole it? Not to mention, they were still hot, fresh from the oven. It would probably melt under the radiant heat of summer. She didn't sense any car at the outside compartment of his house, so this could also indicate the house was vacant at the moment. So even if I rang the house, what if no one answered? How was I going to-

"How may I help you?"

"Ah!!" I had to thank God for miraculously saved my brownies from falling after mulling for so long. Much to my dismay, a short, old woman had been observing the the whole time I was pondering how to send the brownies. The woman's disconcerting look was very discernible, I felt like she was being judged the moment she breathed. 

"Uh.. I.. It's not what you think it is. I wasn't trying to poison anyone." What the hell? "I mean! Thank sorry! Wait, no! I -Ugh.." I bowed defeatedly, hoping that the blush that made my face tainted as red as a tomato wasn't visible, "I'm.. Here to give food for Choi Soobin-ssi. I promise."

"Choi Soobin? Oh! Could it be?" I looked up upon hearing her spoke, expecting to be handcuffed but instead seeing the old woman's face beaming with a smile nearing that was now near my face. "You're Soobin's new girlfriend?!" 

"What? No, I'm not! I'm his neighbour who recently moved at the street behind his house." Blood was rushing through my face and it didn't help that the heat from the sun was getting to my head. 

"Oh. Neighbour?! And you're giving us food when we just met? That is so sweet of you! Why don't you come inside, love? It's very hot outside, isn't it?" I shook my head vigorously when coherent words got stuck in my throat, but the sweat from my forehead must had given me away by how she was persistently pushing me in and before I knew it, I was already sitting at the dining table. 

"Omo, you really made brownies for us? You are a generous woman. This looks very scrumptious. I'm sure our Soobin will love eating your homemade food." I let out a fake laugh, masking my nervousness. 

"Forgive for my late introduction. I am Choi Min Soo, Soobin's mother. It is a pleasure to meet you, little girl."

"Anneyeonghaseyo, ajumeoni. My name is Park Dae-Gi. I just moved here two weeks ago. Nice to meet you and thank you for treating me well." Min Soo-ssi let out her hand for a handshake and I shook it back with a smile, less tense than I felt.

"Ah, Park Dae-Gi. What a beautiful name. How old are you, Dae-Gi-ssi?" 

"I'm 20 years old." 

"Omo! You're so cute!" I laughed over how cordial she was with me when we just met three minutes ago. So far, there was no sight of Soobin. He was probably on his date with that Eunkyung so there was less likelihood that we would meet or else his mother would be calling out for him to come down. I sighed, relieved.

"Tell me, how did you know Soobin? Were you in the same school as him?" 

"Oh, no. I wasn't." And So I explained about our first meeting, how he boldly defended me from those famished dogs, causing hearty laughter to erupt inside this empty house. 

"My Soobin did that! Just when I thought he's a useless boy, he ended up saving someone! He truly is not all useless!" She was clearly amused over my story.

"Ajumeoni, Soobin-ah is not useless. I really don't think I would be here today without his kindness." I complimented genuinely, leading her face to soften. She must clearly loved hearing praises of her son. 

"You're such a lovable woman, Dae-Gi-ah. Soobin-ah is lucky to have a female friend like you. If only my son choose someone like you instead of her." 

My face lifted from the tea she made for me. I gave her a puzzled look, "Her?" 

"His girlfriend. I just don't understand his bad judgement sometimes. She is an impudent and snobby woman. She never listens to what my son has to say. Do you know that last week that she barged into our house uninvited? She didn't even notify Soobin-ah that she was coming and suddenly started throwing a tantrum!" 

I tried my hardest not to show any reaction. I did remember her throwing tantrums, but did Soobin inform his mother about his girlfriend's mood swing? Or was it something that happened when I wasn't there? 

"Dae-Gi-ah. Look at me." I was took by surprised when she suddenly placed both of her hands on mine on the table. It was warm and welcoming, carried no signs of hostility. 

"If you ever talk to him again, can you please do me a favour?"

I fell silent for a while, aware of the seriousness in her tone before asking back, "What is it?" 

"I think it's due to our age difference which makes it hard for me to communicate with him sometimes. He is a filial son, obeying everything we order him to, except one thing." I listened attentively, suddenly rueful upon realising I suddenly had to be responsible when I never planned to see him again. 

"Please advise him to choose he is willing to give his love to. I fear for the day I will be seeing him crying because of his mistake. You know what I'm saying, don't you?" 

I was rendered speechless. I had never been in a relationship, so I thought a lover's quarrel was a normal thing, but the way she worded it made me think there was more storm than what I witnessed about a week ago, "Ajumeoni, I don't-"

"Omma! Sorry I was late. Eunkyung brought me somewhere el-" 

My heart dropped. 

I knew whose voice was that even without turning around. 

"Dae-Gi-ah?" 

Oh, boy.

Choi Soobin.


	4. Knight-ssi

"Anneyeong, Soobin-ah." 

What better timing?

Dae-Gi turned to him expectantly that he was glaring at her in annoyance, but was greeted with a pleased, magnanimous smile instead, making her more off-guard. 

"Yah, Choi Soobin! You told me you would be home by 2pm! Did you lose track of time because of her again?" His mother asked, unbothered to conceal the anger in her tone as she crossed both of her arms. Dae-Gi subconsciously gulped the saliva in her throat.

"I'm sorry, Omma. I was stuck in a traffic jam. I didn't know Dae-Gi would be coming?" Soobin was quick to change the topic, but it was also out of curiosity. 

"Didn't you know, Soobin-ah? Dae-Gi-ssi made brownies for us!" 

"Really?! Wah." He exclaimed excitedly as he sat at the dining table directly in front of Dae-Gi. Soobin scanned the untouched brownies that was mouth-watering to his lustrous eyes. His sweet tooth was aching for him to take a bite but held back when he realised both her and his mother was looking at him gleefully. Soobin was about to start talking but was stopped by the sound of her mother's phone ringing. 

"Oh, dear. Your aunt is calling. If you two will excuse me," His mother stood up from her chair and left them after the two nodded in understanding to pick up the phone call. 

"Waah~ Brownies. How did you know it's my favourite?" He asked teasingly with a beaming smile. Dae-Gi smiled in return, remembering Soobin's mother stating that the easiest way to make friends with Soobin was to lure him with desserts. 

"That's not for you. It's for your Mother." 

His eyes stared at her in betrayal when she said that the moment the brownies reached his mouth, "Really?"

Dae-Gi laughed at his dramatic expression, leaving him flabbergasted. "Yah, that's so mean of you." He took a bite and squirmed in delight, "Wah, this is so delicious! You're so good at baking this. Even better than Omma." 

"I'm going to tell her that." 

"Ahh Please don't. I don't want to be kicked out of the house again."

"Again?" The two shared a jovial laughter. She then asked herself why was she trying to avoid a bubbly, cheerful guy like him in the first place? 

"You didn't tell me you were coming. I would've left earlier." He stated, slightly feeling guilty for making her wait. 

"Oh no, I couldn't. I didn't plan to come here uninvited but your Mother saw me so she insisted me to enter your house when I just wanted to drop by and give you the brownies." 

His head tilted slightly, "I see.. Is it something like a housewarming gift?" 

Dae-Gi's stomach dropped. She was only thinking of apologising to him through a handwritten letter. She hated confrontations, but she realised she was also responsible for both him and Eunkyung's argument. Dae-Gi took a deep breathe and started fidgeting with her fingers before coming clean. 

"I actually made it as a way to say sorry for what happened back then." 

"What happened back then?" 

"You know.. You and Eunkyung-ssi.. I destroyed both of your date back then and I made you guys fight. It was inappropriate for me to be in the same house alone with a man who's already in a relationship and I should've known. You were only being nice to me, but you ended up having to pay the price. I'm really sorry." She hung her head down in shame upon realising the rising temperature on her face. Dae-Gi had a tendency to blame herself too much over things she couldn't control. She couldn't stop beating herself for that incident, sometimes unintentionally reminiscing back about it when she was doing something else. 

She couldn't see his reaction nor hear his respond because his mother came back at the dining table, "Terribly sorry about that. Soobin's aunty called just to say hi." 

Dae-Gi smiled nervously, still avoiding eye contact with Soobin, "It's okay."

"So, Dae-Gi-ssi. You're the same age as Soobin-ah, is that true?" 

"Ah, yes. I am." 

"Where will you be studying?"

"She'll be in the same university as me, Omma. She's also going to take the same course as me." Soobin answered on her behald. 

His mother's face brightened, "Ommo, that's great to hear! I guess I can rely on you to take care of Soobin-ah, right? This boy is clueless almost all the time so he needs someone to look after him while I'm not around."

"Ah, Omma! I'm not a kid anymore!" Dae-Gi laughed hearing his childish retaliation. She could tell Soobin was a spoiled child, nurtured with love from such a doting mother. She was enjoying so much of their interaction she didn't realise he was stealing glances at her laughter.

"Are you applying for the university's accommodation? Since our house is nearby, Soobin-ah decided to just stay at home. It's only a fifteen minutes drive from our house, after all. " His mother informed. 

"I.. I'm not sure actually. I was thinking of not applying because of the distance too, but.. I don't really have a car to commute back and forth from here." She did think of using her parent's car, but they also used them to go to work during weekdays. She could use a public transport, but it would still be hassle because the buses here apparently did not have a fixed schedule. 

"You can ride my car." She finally met eyes with Soobin and shot a questioning look, "Since our house is nearby, I can drop by yours. We can also go back from the campus together."

"Oh, that's a good idea! It consumes lesser time and Soobin-ah just got his driver's license recently. Why don't you both go together?" His mother encouraged.

Her eyes widened, taken aback by his generous offer. "No, it's okay. I don't want to intrude-"

"Nonsense! You're not intruding at all! My son will be more than happy to offer a helping hand. Isn't that right, Soobin-ah?"

"Yep. It's no trouble at all." Dae-Gi was trying to scan his face to see if he was hiding a sorrowful or annoyed expression, but his face remained the same, kind and comforting. 

"I -I'm not sure about that." She was clearly still reluctant to take up the offer. 

"Oh, come on. It's nothing! You walked all the way here to our house just to give us brownies. So why not-"

"Omma, it's okay." He cut her off, "If she doesn't want to take up the offer, then don't force her. Right, Dae-Gi-ah?" 

Dae-Gi gave a small smile, nodding slightly. "That's right. I appreciate the offer, but I simply can't take it. That's too much for me. Thank you, both of you." She bowed as a sign of gratitude.

Soobin flashed off his warm smile in return. 

The three of them continued on their conversation where it's mostly Soobin's mother exposing his childish habits and behaviours back when he was a child and him yelling in embarrassment. Dae-Gi enjoyed hearing their interactions where it was filled with hearty laughters and laid-back reminiscence. She didn't realise how an hour had passed since the three of them started talking. She was about to take leave, but Soobin stopped her.

"Let me walk you home." He offered. 

"Oh, no. I'm not going home. I have to go to the wet market. My mother asked me to buy something. Thank you very much." She politely declined.

"Then let me drive you there. It's only five minutes from here. I don't mind." Knowing him, Dae-Gi knew fighting him would be futile. She smiled at him in return, both of them fully unaware over how his mother was giddying over their chemistry.----------------------------------------------------------

"Your mother's a nice woman." 

"Hmm. I guess it's all in the genes." 

"Good genes skip a generation." 

"Yah! Park Dae-Gi! I'm driving here!" She couldn't hold back from laughing upon realising how snarky her comment was. She knew Soobin wanted to look at her to playfully scold her, so she covered her face in embarrassment. She didn't remember when was the last time she had fun teasing a person without worrying how they would take it. Something about Choi Soobin made her have so much fun being playful like this. 

"What did you guys talk about while I was away?" He enquired.

"Oh, you know. Just stuff." 

"Ahhhh don't do that. I hate it." Her heart fluttered seeing how adorable he was, nagging like a six year old. Was this man the same age as her?

They had so much chatting they didn't realise that they had already arrived until Soobin saw the sign. 

"And~ We're here!" He stopped the car directly in front of the market as Dae-Gi unbuckled her seat belt. 

"Thank you very much, driver Soobin-ssi. I appreciate how meticulous you are while driving. How will I ever repay you?" Dae-Gi made a fake bow to him.

"Hmm.." Soobin mulled by furrowing his eyebrows and held his chin as though he was thinking about ending world hunger, causing her to let out a small chuckle, "There is one."

"And that is?"

"You still haven't given me your phone number."

Dae-Gi stared at him emotionlessly, processing what he was saying before laughing, "My phone number?"

"Yeah. Since we will be in the same university, I figure we should have each other's contact information in case if anything happens." He explained nonchalantly. 

Without hesitating, Dae-Gi agreed and they both exchanged numbers. 

"And... That settles it. I'll save your number as Miss Dae-Gi, okay? What about you? What will you save my name as?" Soobin asked, curious.

Dae-Gi thought about it for a while. She could save his name as Choi Soobin, as easy as that. But instead, she wanted to sound creative. To impress him. After a few seconds of thinking, she finally spoke up, "Knight."

"What?"

"Knight-ssi. I'll save you as Knight-ssi. Because you introduced yourself as my Knight in Shining Armour when you saved me from those dogs, didn't you? I'll call you Knight-ssi in my telephone. How about that?" Dae-Gi was waiting for him to laugh or tease her for such a corny name. Yet he remained frozen and stoic, his eyes gotten slightly bigger. 

"Soobin-ah?"

"A -Ah, right. That's really cheesy." 

She glanced at him, flummoxed. Did she go too far with the joke? She didn't expect him to lose that much composure over a harmless joke. 

"Thank you again, Knight-ssi. I'll see you next week when college starts!" She got out of of the car and waved at him through the window screen. Soobin smiled and waved back in return. It was hard for her to not take note how red both of his ears were.


	5. Defeated

Eggs.. Check.

Two Packets of Chicken Breasts.. Check.

A can of evaporated milk.. Check.

I slowly ticked off the list of items as written by Mom. Much to my relief, the money given was more than enough. I didn't have to worry about having to use the last remaining 5000 won in my purse. 

Or so I thought. 

There laid before my very eyes, the last remaining Cadburry Chocolate in a jar that was filled with a liquid that tasted like strawberry, the recent release that gained ubiquitous popularity internationally, constantly being sold out the moment they were put on the shelves. But I was bestowed with the worst luck. I never had the chance to savour it since its release a week ago.

But not today.

Today was going to be day I would break these chains of misfortune. 

Each step I took towards the heavenly food felt lighter as though I was levitating with my invincible wings. The saliva started to clump inside my throat even greater. Just by staring at it made me seem as though I was in cloud nine. I finally met the chocolate almost at eye-level (I am short). My imagination that was going to lead me to nirvana was immediately halted when I could feel someone else pulling it at the other end of the jar. 

What I saw made my stomach drop. 

"You.. The midget at Soobin-ah's house!" 

I gulped.

Eunkyung. 

"What are you doing touching my food? Please let it go."

Usually, I would be intimidated by those with a domineering personality and actually complied to what they asked. But this time around, I felt like a courageous fool. Maybe it was because I was in public or I was just too hungry to think straight.

"I have a name. It is Park Dae-Gi. And I saw it first. So it is mine." I pulled back with a greater force, letting out a strained smile.

"What are you talking about? This is mine. Let go at once!" As expected, Eunkyung put up a fight and I didn't back down either. I felt that she was pulling it back a lot stronger than me, so I used both of my hands this time and she did the same. I couldn't remember when was the last time I put up such a fierce fight over food. I realised how childish we were looking from passerby's perspective, but the anger in me overtook the shameful feeling I had. 

And I knew the anger wasn't just caused by my hunger. 

"Let go!" 

"No!" 

It was at this moment I fucked up. 

Eunkyung actually let it go so suddenly my non-pliable body lost balance, prompting me to let go of the firm grip I had on the jar. I closed my eyes involuntarily, unknowing what to expect. 

The first thing I felt was the pain my butt felt when it landed on the floor. And that was all there was to feel. But after a few seconds, I then noticed how sticky my hair felt and the strong scent of strawberry filling my nose. 

"Ahahaha! Oh my god, look at you! Are you okay?!" She asked in a shrilling voice combined with her high-pitched laughter. She began to cover her stomach as though her gut was threatening to fall out. It felt like I was hearing an utter nightmare speaking to me. All of this felt like a nightmare, strangers smirking and some were recording me covered with chocolate. I looked down to the palm of my hands that were suffused with the icky chocolate, no longer looking delicious and then looked back to Eunkyung when I heard the sound of a click from her phone.

"This is so funny! I bet Soobin-ah will love this! Thank you for this photo, Dae-Gi-ssi! You can keep the chocolate, I don't want it anymore." She smirked heartlessly when she realised how disbelieved I was at my stare towards her. 

"What is going on here? Who did all of this?!" A scrawny old man in uniform approached the two of us, only scanning me with judgmental eyes, as though I was a lost six year old child who started the mess. 

"This woman got hungry and started fighting for chocolates. But give her some slack. She's only a kid." She answered nonchalantly. My stomach dropped and my lips quivered ceaselessly. I couldn't utter a single word no matter how much I tried without having the tears in my eyes threatening to fall. 

"Even a kid wouldn't throw a tantrum like this! You have to pay for all of this mess. Do you understand, little girl?" Now everyone's eyes were on me when the man started shrieking his voice out. 

I wanted to retaliate, but it was futile when she walked away after shooting a flippant sneaker, realising how I was defeated, yet once again.

"I'm sorry."  
\---------  
I stared at the fan attached to the ceiling as I laid on my bed, emotionless and drained out from everything that had happened today. I wanted to do everything I could to forget it. Playing games on my nintendo, scrolling through social media, online window shopping, everything. But my mind would come back to the most embarrassing moment of my life and how I was struggling to explain almost everything to my worried mother without sounding like I was choking back my tears. 

I heaved a heavy sigh and hugged my pillow tightly. It was only 9:25PM but my my whole body felt heavy and my lids were dropping slowly despite trying so hard to resist. It was common for me to sleep by 2AM so to feel this drowsy at such an early hour was a disgrace as a night owl but it wasn't like there was any point to fight it off. Slowly, I allowed myself to be lulled by the comfort of my bed-

"Dae-Gi-ah!" Of course, mother.

"Yes, Eomma?"

"Your friend's here to see you! Come down, now! Don't make him wait!"

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as my head left my soft pillow. A friend? I certainly had no friends who lived here. They were all from an entirely different district. Who would be visiting me at such an ho-

Oh.

I peered through my bedroom window, fearing for what I expected to be true. 

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to even hide myself as a smiling Soobin in a large hoodie waved at me with four of his visible dimples.


	6. Friends

"You know you could've just come inside instead of waiting out in the cold, right?" Soobin's gaze diverted from his phone screen to the much smaller woman who was walking towards him. It seemed that he wasn't the only one clothed with a comfortable piece of attire since Dae-Gi came out with her loosed, oversized hello kitty hoodie with her tousled hair tied in a ponytail. It was hard for him to keep a straight face when he realised that was the same person who visited his house this morning.

"What?" 

"This is the first time I see you with your hair tied." He said calmly, trying to sound unfazed but unsure if the startled tone gave him away.

"Ah, well. Sorry for appearing so messy. I'm still pretty, right?" 

"Yep. You look cute." It was Dae-Gi's turn to be flustered. She was only joking. 

"Why did you come?" 

"Oh, yeah!" Soobin hit the palm of his hand with his fist when he remembered his vital aim. He opened the back of his car seat to take out a freshly-baked brownies. He displayed it in front of her with a nervous smile. 

"This is..?"

"I made them for you. And your family. Have a bite." 

She gave the brownies a scrutinised look, still uncertain with what was in her hand. Was this really how brownies were supposed to look again? She didn't even know if she had the vocabulary to describe how inedible it looked. She was certain the one she did was more.. Presentable, to say the least. Despite the fear that started welling up, she still casted her assuring smile towards him, subconsciously making his smile wider. Slowly, she took a small piece of brownie from the packet and munched on it silently, not giving a reaction without realising how his heartbeat was hammering through the roof.

Teasingly, she stared at him with a face that was hard to scan. 

"How is it?" 

"Is this your first time making one?"

His face dropped, "Is -Is it that bad?" 

"To be honest, it's a little too sugary and some parts of the browny is burnt. But all in all, it still tastes like brownies so for a first timer, it's great." She complimented genuinely, making him visibly loosen up.

"I'm sorry. I really tried." 

"Hey, don't apologise! This tastes really nice. My family will love it." Now she felt bad for being a bit too direct. She went silent for a while before an idea popped into her mind, "I'll teach you someday how to bake one." 

He beamed in excitement, "Really? You will?" 

"Yeah! I don't mind. But.. Why?" 

"Hmm?"

"Why are you baking brownies for me? Surely, this isn't a way of you saying thank you just for brownies that I made because I was sorry?"

His eyes shifted to the ground as he scratched his head. It was clear that he was a bad liar. His shoulder dropped as his tongue struggled to utter out a single word, but failed miserably. He was only able to stand awkwardly in front of her, speechless. 

"Did she send you the photos?" 

His eyes widened and his lips twitched. His whole body froze out of sheer embarrassment. Of course Eunkyung did. He was the first person she reached out to, sending multiple images of an almost crying photo of Dae-Gi covered nastily in chocolate, combined with vehement, horrible, sassy captions that could easily make anyone's heart boil on Dae-Gi's behalf. It infuriated him even more when his girlfriend texted him saying that she wanted to send them to her friends. In fact, this was the second time they got into a fight with Dae-Gi involved and also the second time they didn't end up in good terms. No apologies, whatsoever. They just acted like it never happened, they always did. 

"Haha.. That was embarrassing to see, huh?" She let out a shy smile.

Soobin bowed 90 degrees, appalled and disgusted of himself. He didn't dare to look at her in the eyes anymore after this. "I'm so sorry for what she has done to you. That was very wrong of her. I made sure that she deleted all of those photos already so that she won't spread it. I know my apology isn't enough and you don't have to forgive her if you don't want to, but I will do whatever I can to repay you on her behalf." 

To say that she was flabbergasted was an understatement. She frantically pushed his shoulders upwards the moment he began to bow, "Okay, okay. It's okay. I'm not angry! Stop bowing!" He obeyed when he noticed the sound of anxiousness in her voice.

"It's not okay. I can't accept what she did to you! Aren't you angry?" He asked, incredulous. 

"Of course, I'm angry. But not at you. You're not responsible for it." She answered. 

"But it doesn't change that you're still a victim of her since the first time you met her. She treated you horribly from that day. You didn't do anything wrong to her. You don't deserve any of it." 

She wanted to look indifferent to his kindness but the way he was so apologetic over something that wasn't his fault made it impossible for her to not give away a pleased smile. "How sure are you I don't deserve it? What if I did something nasty to her behind your back and this was just karma being thrown at me?"

"What nonsense are you saying? Dae-Gi-ah is not the type of person to do anything bad." 

Her eyes widened, surprised to hear a man who just met her in a week to hold such a strong belief towards her character when this was the third time they met, with the former two being accidental. Her heart melted. 

"You're willing to trust me more than your own girlfriend?" 

"Eun-ah likes to over-exaggerate, so I'm not surprised if the things she told me were all lies." Dae-Gi raised her eyebrows. She was never in a relationship before this, but she watched enough rom-com anime to know that disbelieving your own partner easily was not a norm when it came to loving someone. It was apparent that their relationship was dysfunctional from an outsider's perspective and as much as she wanted to know more, she held back from pressing it any further.

"So please, let me make it up to you. One way or another." She knew he was serious when his eyes wouldn't budge from her face with a stern expression. She felt the sincerity emanating from his eyes. At this point, she found out how stubborn Choi Soobin was, so she let out a defeated sigh. 

"There's no way out for me, huh?"

"Nope." He grinned while shaking his head, causing her to let out a small chuckle. 

"I mean.. It's not like I don't want to take up the offer, but Eunkyung-ssi might probably think I'm taking you over as my slave." 

His lips parted in dismay, "Yah! Isn't that too much?"

The two of them shared a laugh but deep down, they knew it was possible. 

"But seriously though, I don't know how she will take it if she knows you're indebted to me. She probably doesn't like that you're meeting me at this hour." Dae-Gi stated in a matter-of-fact.

Soobin shook his head in disagreement, "She can't control who I make friends with. There's no reason for me to not know you better in person, Dae-Gi-ah." 

There it was again, that warm kindness that made her feel comfortable and secure. She couldn't help but smile as though the incident last evening never took place. 

"Okay. I already come with a favour for you to do on my behalf." 

"And that is?" 

Dae-Gi let out her hand towards Soobin who was giving off a confused look, "Be my friend." 

He blinked a few times, as though his brain was trying to process what she just said. He stared back at her after looking at her hand, "What?"

"Be my friend, Choi Soobin."

"But.. I thought we already are?"

"You're right. We've always been friends. But we never had the chance to act like real friends do, did we? So once we enrol in Namsang University together, I hope we can be closer than we are now. You're an interesting person to talk to and I'd like to know you better.. Or is the favour too big?" 

Soobin laughed, "And here I thought you were going to ask to carpool to university. But this is fine, too." 

He grabbed hold of her small hands and shook them, "I hope we'll make good friends, Park Dae-Gi." 

Even after shaking hands, the two of them didn't let go and instead continued smiling at each other. It was very cold outside, but the warmth from their hands holding onto each other made them momentarily forget all about it.


End file.
